The words "volunteer," "volley" and "volume" all share the same syllable: "vol." But does that mean they share a common origin?

Nope. Each is derived from a different Latin root.

"Volunteer" comes from the Latin root "vol-," a stem of the Latin ...

Q: I've been hearing a word more and more frequently, mostly during movie or book reviews on NPR -- "trope." My dictionary defines "trope" as the figurative use of a word or expression, a figure of speech. But the meaning the speakers give it is ...

Have you noticed that pundits and politicians sometimes use "understate" when they mean "overstate"?

Derel Schrock of Colorado Springs, Colo., sent me this example from comments by Congressman Allen West on Fox News: "I can't understate the ...

Q: What is the plural of "pair"? I always thought it was "two pairs," but I often see "two pair of socks." --Geri Chmil via email

A: If you've seen two pair of socks, you're doing better than I am. I have enough trouble finding one pair of socks ...

In ancient Rome, Mercury (the messenger of the gods) was constantly zipping around from deity to deity. So when the Romans needed a word for the poisonous metallic element that flowed quickly at room temperature, they named it "Mercury" for their ...

Q: I thought it was "all of a sudden," not "all of the sudden." Am I right? --Margery Mosher, Putnam, Conn.

A: Indeed you are. Though people often say "all of the sudden" or "all the sudden," usage authorities agree that "all of a sudden" is the ...